For a Brother
by f1gymnast
Summary: Robb and Jon find themselves in a tough situation that tests the true meaning of brotherhood.
1. Chapter 1

**This was a request from GreekerGeek.**

**It is AU to both book and tv canon but still set in Westeros. Set before the tv series in the timeline but it is different to the book as I haven't read the books, so characterisation is different.**

**Some violence and there will be some swearing.**

**Usual disclaimers that I don't own the characters etc.**

**I hope you enjoy it. :)**

* * *

Chapter 1

A stag was grazing in the Wolfswood surrounded by trees and plants, birdsong drifted through the air and the smell of wet grass, due to the rainfall the night before, was easily identifiable. Simeon moved quietly through the wood with the rest of his group, which included his sons Lorge and Stanos. Simeon was a poacher and he knew there were fine stags to be had for good money living on the land of the Starks. The only problem was that Lord Eddard Stark had declared war on the poachers and, if caught, death was now the penalty rather than the loss of a hand or the Night's Watch.

Simeon was about average height for a man and he had a stocky build. His chest was broad and his hips were narrow, his hair was light brown but his eyes were much a much darker shade of brown in comparison. Freckles adorned his nose and cheeks and he moved quietly for his build. His sons were very different to each other in looks but not in skill.

Lorge was the elder of the two and had strikingly blonde hair like his mother with a tall, lean body in comparison to his father. Lorge's eyes were green and he had no freckles on his face, but he did have a brown birthmark just above his left eye. Stanos took after his father in height and build though his hair was a slightly lighter colour as were his eyes. Both brothers were skilled archers with longbows and crossbows, just like Simeon himself.

Simeon knew he was taking a risk especially as they had already killed two large stags in the last week alone. His sons were good shots at the ages of twenty and twenty-two but they were still eager to learn from their father. The Starks had increased their foot patrols throughout the Wolfswood so the time to strike was reducing, fast.

Simeon closed in on the stag and saw his sons raise their bows in unison. Three shots were released together and the animal fell to the ground.

* * *

Lord Eddard Stark watched from the balcony over the Winterfell courtyard as he often did. He could see the hustle and bustle of Winterfell below him with many of its occupants going about their daily routines. His eyes were drawn to Ser Rodrik who was trying to teach Robb and Jon a new defensive stance in their sword practise lesson. Robb and Jon were both 12 name days old but they weren't twins. Robb was the elder by a couple of months and was Ned's legitimate heir with his wife Catelyn, while Jon was the Bastard of Winterfell, or at least that was what everyone thought. Ned's son with a mysterious woman whom nobody knew.

Ned watched as Jon picked up the move faster than Robb but when they practised against each other Jon lost the spar. Ned knew that Jon was a better fighter but Jon also knew it would not be appropriate for him to beat Robb. Ned suspected that Robb also knew what Jon was doing but neither of them suggested anything was amiss. Theon was watching nearby after taking a break from his archery due to injuring his leg a week ago and unable to practise with the swords.

Catelyn appeared beside Ned and he instantly saw her scowl. She didn't like that Robb and Jon practised together but Ned was used to it by now. He was mostly glad that Robb, Jon and Theon weren't at each other's throats and actually got along, most of the time.

Maester Luwin appeared and Ned knew the maester was waiting for the boys to have their history lesson for the day. When Robb and Jon had finished another spar Ned called out, 'Robb, Jon, Theon, it's time for your lessons with Maester Luwin.'

The shoulders of all three boys slumped at Ned's words which made him chuckle. Thankfully, Maester Luwin saw the funny side too. The old maester knew that history was no fun compared to sword practise, but just as important.

'Come on boys,' the maester called as they put away their weapons and trudged inside.

While Ned was stood on the balcony a soldier appeared and gave a short nod, 'My Lord. My Lady,' he said.

'What news?' Ned asked.

'The poachers have been sighted again in the Wolfswood,' the soldier replied.

'Rally the men,' Ned told the soldier who gave an affirmative nod and swiftly left.

'Ser Rodrik,' Ned called down into the courtyard.

'My Lord,' the knight answered.

'Fetch Robb and Jon. I want them to accompany us and hopefully catch the poachers,' Ned ordered.

'Yes, My Lord,' Ser Rodrik answered and left to find Robb and Jon.

'Ned, Robb's lessons are important,' Catelyn never liked exposing her son to these things.

'He's not a boy anymore. He is a young man and he needs to learn how to be Lord of Winterfell,' Ned reasoned. The fact that Jon was going as well was not mentioned by either.

* * *

Moving the stag was a difficult task but between them Simeon and his sons managed to drag the stag through the wood. Another successful kill that would bring them a host of coins. Suddenly, horse's hooves could be heard in the distance and the poachers instantly knew it was another Stark patrol. They had to get the stag to their cart and fast.

The pounding of hooves grew louder and rang through the ears of the poachers as the cumbersome stag slowed their escape. Simeon's sons remained with him but the remainder of the group scattered.

'Poachers!' came the roar from one of the Stark soldiers and Simeon swore as he realised that they would have to leave the beast behind if they wanted to keep their lives. In unison they dropped the stag but moments later Simeon's foot was caught by a protruding tree root and he was sent sprawling to the floor and his right ankle made a sickening crack.

His sons tried to pull him to his feet but the Stark patrol was advancing quickly.

'Go! Run!' he shouted to his sons who hesitated before running away with sorrow in their eyes. Simeon instantly felt alone and he was afraid of what was to come. He knew the price he would pay but he needed his sons to live. He loved his sons like any other man.

The Stark patrol took longer to arrive than Simeon expected or maybe time was moving more slowly. The dead stag was feet away from him and he was covered in its blood, so there was no way he could talk himself out of this situation. His ankle was starting to throb and swell, indicating that it was indeed broken.

The Stark horse stopped in front of him and the rider dismounted. 'Thought you could steal from Lord Stark, did you?' the man asked with a sneer before directing a couple of riders to find Lord Stark and two others to search the area for the other poachers. Simeon hoped his sons had had the brains to keep running.

It wasn't long before Simeon recognised the fur cloaked figure of Lord Stark riding towards him and he knew his end was near.

'Did you find the other poachers?' Ned asked his men as he dismounted.

'No, my Lord,' the soldier answered making Simeon smile. His sons were safe.

'Robb, Jon,' Lord Stark called out as two boys appeared on horseback. 'Go with Ser Rodrik.'

Simeon was dragged out of the woods by the Stark men as Lord Stark rode beside them to the execution area. Simeon knew Lord Stark would do the 'honours' himself as he was well known for it but that was no comfort as Simeon was pushed over the large log that would serve as his deathbed. He struggled against the men holding him as his fight response took over. He didn't want to die.

'What is your name?' Lord Stark asked the struggling man.

'What d'you care?' Simeon spat back.

'I don't,' Ned answered simply as Ice was unsheathed. 'I, Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North-'

Simeon's mind was racing. He had known that the punishment for poaching on the Stark lands was death but he had never imagined that he would be caught. His sons would be left alone in the world as their mother had died 5 years ago from a short fever. Could they survive on their own? Would they also die at the hands of Lord Stark, bent over a tree log and beheaded?

'I hereby sentence you to death,' Ned finished.

'Don't look away,' Jory told Robb and Jon as their father lifted his sword.

Simeon felt as though time had stopped. He could see the blade being risen slowly in the corner of his eye. His heart seemed determined to get through a lifetime's beats before his life ended. The sound of the blade descending was the last thing Simeon heard.

Robb and Jon both screwed up their faces as they watched the poacher's head be separated from his body. The red, oozing blood ran freely from the gaping wound, staining the grass nearby red.

'D'you understand why I had to do it?' Ned asked the boys as he approached. Both Robb and Jon nodded. 'The man who passes the sentence, should swing the sword.'

* * *

Lorge and Stanos were sitting in the wood, knowing what had befallen their father and having been unable to help him in anyway. The Stark men had taken the stag for their own kitchens and they were left without their father and without anything to sell. They had kept out of sight of the Stark soldiers long enough for the men to give up the pursuit and then they had returned. They had watched as their father was dragged away as Lord Stark sat importantly atop his horse, overseeing his men.

Lord Stark would pay for killing their father, they swore it to the old gods and the new.

'The boys,' Lorge muttered after a lengthy silence.

'What?' Stanos asked looking angry, upset and completely lost.

'The boys that came with Lord Stark. They must be his heir and his bastard,' Lorge surmised. 'Robb Stark and Jon Snow.'

'So? What of them?' Stanos was confused by what his brother was implying.

'Let's pay Lord Stark back for what he has done,' Lorge grinned devilishly.

* * *

Many days later the sun was shining brightly in the sky and the air was filled with a warm breeze. Robb and Jon woke early in the morning and both decided that they wanted to go out riding in the Wolfswood after they had broken their fast. They, well Robb, pestered Lord Stark until Ned gave in but insisted that they take four guards with them and did not leave the guards for any reason. Ned didn't really want to let them go but a number of Northern Lords were arriving that day and he needed to be there to greet them. He also wanted Ser Rodrik and Jory by his side but Ned figured that Robb and Jon would be safe enough in the woods close to Winterfell.

The Wolfswood was full of birds singing in the trees, their sweet melodies enough to make anyone smile, even Jon. The guards grumbled at first, having to trek behind the two boys at Lord Stark's insistence but soon even they were enjoying the sounds, smells and sights of the Wolfswood.

The group stopped at a small clearing in the woods to eat the food Robb and Jon had eagerly packed, with the guards taking turns to watch for danger. Robb and Jon continued to talk about their training and how one of the kitchen serving girls continually eyed Robb whenever she was serving him food. Jon always felt a bit jealous of the attention Robb received but knew there was no point in worrying about it. He knew he was the bastard and would likely never marry or have a family of his own. He only hoped that one day he would no longer be seen as the 'shame' of the Stark family.

'It's time we started back, my lords,' one of the soldiers called out.

Both Jon and Robb exchanged looks of disappointment but they started to pack their stuff away, slowly.

* * *

Lorge and Stanos watched the group pack away their things, not quite believing the luck the gods had sent them. They had been arguing for days how they could snatch Ned Stark's heir from Winterfell to no avail. Now, having briefly seen the boys when Simeon was captured, the heir and the bastard were feet in front of them, but they still didn't know which one was which. They figured the guards weren't too much of a problem as long as they could keep the boys away from the horses to prevent their escape.

Lorge left his bow with his brother as he snuck around the camp to where the horses were tied up with a short sword ready in his hand. The horses sensed his presence and started to panic, neighing and trying to pull themselves free from their tethers. Lorge cursed under his breath as the soldiers and boys were instantly alerted to the danger lurking in the woods.

'Who goes there?' one of the soldiers asked as he drew his sword. Robb and Jon were quickly surrounded by the Stark soldiers as they both looked at each other with fear in their eyes. Who would want to hurt them?

Robb could feel his heart hammering in his chest and took Jon's hand and felt his half-brother also trembling. The Stark soldiers surrounded them so they couldn't see past their guards but both were listening for the sound of any movement in the trees.

Lorge kept himself hidden, ready to free the horses in the hope that they would scatter, meaning any escape would have to be made by foot. Stanos kept himself hidden but within sight of the group, with the bows at the ready. He knew he could take out two of the Stark men in quick succession while Lorge was a good enough fighter to hold his own in a swordfight.

Lorge was waiting for Stanos to shoot first before he acted. He was closer to the horses than the boys and the soldiers and knew he had the advantage in that regard.

Stanos shot the first arrow hitting one of the soldiers square in the chest and the man collapsed instantly clutching at the arrow but knowing the wound he suffered was fatal. Robb and Jon were suddenly pushed behind the other soldiers who turned in the direction the arrow had come from. Robb and Jon clutched each other's hands as their fear began to grow. Who were these men? What did they want?

Lorge took advantage of the Stark soldiers' diverted attentions and sliced through the reins of the horses allowing the animals to ride away from the fight. The soldiers' attentions then turned to Lorge and Stanos took advantage, shooting an arrow into the back of a soldier's head. The remaining two soldiers looked afraid as they now knew there were two assailants and not one.

One of the soldiers moved closer to Robb and whispered, 'Run as soon as the fight starts.' Robb nodded and Jon also nodded that he had heard too.

Stanos revealed himself and purposefully started to reload his bow, giving the soldiers a dark smile as he did. The soldiers were too far away to charge him but they couldn't stay where they were as he could hit them easily once the bow was reloaded. Lorge was closing in on the other side with his sword drawn and a menacing look in his eyes.

'Give us the boys and we will let you go,' Lorge stated as he stopped a few feet away.

The soldiers remained silent while Jon and Robb prepared themselves to run. Without the horses they knew it would be a difficult journey back to Winterfell and, if truth be told, neither of them had really taken much interest in exactly where they were.

Stanos had just about loaded his bow when the soldier nearest to him charged towards him and the other towards Lorge. Robb and Jon fled as fast as they could as the sounds of the fighting behind them started to quieten the further they ran.

Both boys were accomplished at training and could run a fair distance but this was different, this was far harder as their chests heaved and their legs tired rapidly. Both Robb and Jon collapsed after running for what felt like hours but must have just been only minutes and perhaps not even that long. Jon leant against the tree he had collapsed by and tried to listen for sounds in the woods but all he could hear was his own laboured breathing and Robb's too.

Robb was also leant against a tree and looked towards Jon. 'Who d'you...think...they were?' he managed to gasp.

'No idea,' Jon answered looking as confused as Robb felt.

'The soldiers are dead,' Robb stated but Jon could hear the slight hope in his voice that Jon might disagree.

'Yes,' Jon agreed after a moment's silence. 'We have to get back and tell Father what has happened.' Jon knew that Lady Catelyn would somehow make it his fault that they were in the Wolfswood in the first place, but he was used to her scorn.

'D'you know which way it is?' Robb asked hesitantly.

'That way I think?' Jon pointed in the direction he thought Winterfell was but he wasn't at all sure.

* * *

The soldiers charged at Stanos and Lorge, trying to surprise their enemy. Stanos managed to load his bow and hit the soldier in the heart as the man crumpled a few feet away from him. Lorge found the final soldier to be a firm test with a sword. While Lorge was an average swordsman at best, the man in front of him was much better and Lorge knew he was in trouble. The soldier swung his sword grazing Lorge's left arm as the poacher tried to dive away from the blow. Lorge made the mistake of clutching the wound on his left arm with his right hand, dropping his sword in the process and leaving him defenceless. The soldier loomed large over Lorge and the poacher thought his end was near but the soldier suddenly screamed in pain and fell to his knees, revealing Stanos holding a bloody blade in his hand. Stanos then lifted the soldier's head and sliced his throat open.

'Where are the boys?' Lorge asked as he looked around and realised he had no idea in which direction they had run.

'They went that way,' Stanos pointed in the direction Robb and Jon had fled, having been more observant than his brother. 'They shouldn't be difficult to track,' he said confidently as he hauled his brother to his feet. Lorge nodded and quickly tore his shirt to wrap the cloth around his arm. He would deal with cleaning the wound later as they needed to catch the boys.

Stanos led the way and moved eagerly as he followed the tracks of Robb and Jon. The boys had sprinted away and Stanos knew that they wouldn't be able to keep that pace for long and would have tired quickly. As he suspected the tracks showed as much and he and Lorge started to move more stealthily as they didn't want to give themselves away.

Robb and Jon finally managed to bring their breathing under control but they both knew that it was likely the men who had targeted them were still roaming the woods, so they needed to move and quickly. They both exchanged silent looks that speaking and making any noise was something they should keep to a minimum as they tried to find their way back to Winterfell.

Carefully, they started to walk through the trees, listening for any signs that they were being followed. The bird song from earlier in the day was noticeably absent and their footsteps sounded as though they echoed for miles, even though they knew that wasn't true. Both had swords strapped to their belts but neither had swung a sword in anger and, in all honesty, neither were confident to do so. They continued to trudge in the same direction with Robb having moved slightly in front of Jon as time had passed, until Robb heard Jon gasp in surprise.

Robb turned quickly to see one of the men who had attacked them with a knife to Jon's throat.

* * *

**A/N: I'm aware poaching was mainly punished by losing a hand or the Night's Watch but for the purpose of this story it was a far higher price. I also thought if they were doing it frequently enough the Lord would get rather annoyed and declare a tougher sentence.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Just to warn there is some swearing and some violence.**

* * *

Chapter 2

Robb turned quickly to see one of the men who had attacked them earlier holding a knife to Jon's throat. Jon's eyes were wide with fear as he registered the blade that could easily slice his throat open like it was a fresh apple.

Robb heard movement to his right and came face to face with Lorge holding a sword with the tip pointing directly at Robb's heart.

'Keep quiet and we won't kill your brother,' Stanos muttered into Jon's ear. The man's hot, putrid breath made Jon shiver with disgust but he managed a small murmur of agreement as nodding his head wasn't possible with the knife where it was.

'Same for you,' Lorge told Robb. 'Keep quiet and **my** brother won't slit **your** brother's throat.' Robb nodded in agreement as he looked fearfully towards Jon. 'Sword,' Lorge gestured towards Robb who slowly, obediently undid his sword belt and dropped it to the floor. 'Kick it away,' Lorge instructed and Robb obeyed.

Lorge continued to point his sword at Robb as Stanos slowly released Jon. 'You're weapons off too,' Stanos growled keeping the blade close to Jon as Lorge continued to threaten Robb. Jon complied slowly undoing his sword belt while rapidly trying to think of an escape plan. He glanced up at Robb and deduced he was doing the same but Jon knew he had no idea what to do next. Once Jon's sword was on the ground, Lorge stepped back from Robb and nodded towards Jon and Stanos. Stanos had the blade against Jon's neck again as Lorge disappeared momentarily. He returned with two lengths of coarse rope in his hands and both Robb and Jon stiffened as they realised what would happen next. They were going to be prisoners.

Lorge held a length of rope in front of Robb who hesitated to move. 'Hands,' Lorge barked. Robb was slow to move and Jon let out a hiss as Stanos made a small cut in his neck. Robb gasped slightly as he saw a trickle of blood run down Jon's neck and under his jerkin. These men weren't bluffing and would seriously harm them if they didn't comply.

Robb held his hands out immediately and Lorge started to tie the rope with a large grin on his face. 'Realised we're serious, huh?' Lorge joked and smiled at Stanos in a cocky way. Robb wanted to take advantage of Lorge's cockiness but Stanos still had the blade at Jon's throat so there was nothing that could be done at the present time. The rope was thick and coarse and Robb was uncomfortable with the touch of the rope against his skin. Lorge tied the rope tightly but not so tight that blood circulation would be hindered. How considerate.

Lorge moved away from Robb and Robb knew he could run if it wasn't for Jon being threatened. Lorge handed the second piece of rope to Stanos before returning to Robb and unsheathing his sword once more. Stanos slowly released Jon who could feel his heart beating faster than he ever remembered. He winced slightly at the cut on his neck and pressed his fingers to the wound. The cut seemed to be small but Jon could still feel a trickle of blood flowing down his neck. He looked at his hands and saw his own blood on his fingers before Stanos grabbed his hands and started to tie them together. Jon looked helplessly towards Robb who looked just as helplessly back.

Once Jon's hands were tied, Lorge grabbed Robb and pushed him back in the direction they had come as Stanos did the same with Jon. Both Lorge and Stanos retrieved the swords Jon and Robb had removed quickly and quietly so the boys didn't notice the momentary freedom they had.

'Move,' Lorge instructed as he pushed Robb again. Robb started to walk in the direction Lorge had indicated and could see Jon moving out of the corner of his eye. Stanos and Lorge smiled to each other as the boys trudged ahead of them. Lord Stark would pay after all.

* * *

Ned was sitting in his meeting with the Northern Lords but his mind kept wandering from the conversation. He knew Robb and Jon had four soldiers to keep them safe but he just felt that something was wrong and he couldn't explain it. Catelyn had been annoyed that Ned had let them go at all, well, let Robb go. The fact that Ser Rodrick and Jory had both stayed behind at Winterfell had angered her as well and part of Ned agreed with her. His mind kept flitting to the knowledge that, although they had caught one of the poachers, there were other poachers out there. Something wasn't right.

* * *

The sky had started to cloud over as the sun hid away and the sense of rain gathered in the air. Robb and Jon continued to do as they were told while both of them were trying to seize an opportunity to escape. Stanos and Lorge watched the boys closely as they continued to walk through the woods and towards the camp. Jon was desperately trying to slacken the rope around his wrists but he had only succeeded in rubbing the coarse rope against his skin and now his wrists felt like they were on fire. Both boys could feel their energy levels dropping and their pace started to slow accordingly.

'Keep moving,' Stanos pushed Jon so hard that he nearly went crashing to the ground but, somehow, he managed to stumble to stay upright.

'You okay?' Robb called without thinking and received an elbow in his side from Lorge making him groan.

'Shut up!' Lorge whispered harshly as Robb tried to get his breath back from the blow which had winded him.

The group continued on until Jon stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide and his body trembling. Robb felt his breath quicken as he surveyed the seen in front of him. The dead bodies of the Stark soldiers were splayed around the area, blood that had seeped from their bodies was already congealing and the smell would make any man vomit. Crows had already found the corpses and started their feast.

A retching noise came from Robb's left as Jon was doubled over emptying the contents of his stomach. Robb had managed to keep his stomach in check but the sight of Jon sent him doubling over and retching as well. Stanos and Lorge laughed brutal laughs as the boys vomited at the gory sight before them.

'Never seen dead bodies before?' Stanos teased as Jon sat down wiping his mouth and looking very pale. Robb followed Jon to the ground and glanced over at his brother.

No, this wasn't the first time they had seen dead bodies but it was the first time they had seen a scene like this. The brutality of it, along with the smell and the crows, was too much for their stomachs.

'Come on,' Stanos pulled Jon to his feet roughly as Lorge did the same for Robb.

'Just a bit further,' Lorge said as Robb reluctantly started to walk. Both of the boys did their best to avoid looking at the bodies as they walked past but both knew the scene would be etched in their minds forever.

* * *

Ned felt a sense of foreboding as the sky started to cloud over, shielding the sun and bringing the threat of rain. He had cut the meeting with the Northern Lords short with apologies that his mind was elsewhere. They had been debating food and mineral stocks for hours so the other lords were quietly thankful, though concerned that their liege lord was distracted.

'They'll be back soon,' Ser Rodrik appeared next to Ned on the battlements. 'The rain is coming and they don't particularly like being wet!' he guffawed. Ned smiled as he remembered the hunt they had been on a few moons ago where it had started pelting with rain and the trees had done little to shield them. Both Robb and Jon were very vocal about much they disliked being wet while the rest of the men ignored the rain and continued to hunt eagerly. The boys had a lot to learn about life.

'If they're not back in an hour we'll go looking,' Ned said in a tone that brokered no argument.

'Yes, my Lord,' Ser Rodrik nodded. 'I'll let the men know to be prepared.' As Ser Rodrik left, Ned felt his gut twist.

* * *

Lorge and Stanos continued to watch the boys and were aware that they were trying to formulate a plan to escape. Lorge directed them towards a nearby stream and purposefully made them all walk through it for about half a mile.

Robb could feel the water running beneath his feet and was glad the stream wasn't deep enough for the water to go over his boots. Jon was struggling, his boots weren't new or as well made as Robb's and water was starting to seep in. His socks were wet and the chill of the stream was making his toes go numb.

Finally, Lorge and Stanos directed Robb and Jon out of the stream and in the direction of their camp. Jon's feet were wet and his boots were squelching which seemed to amuse Stanos.

'Need to take better care of your clothes, eh?' Stanos smirked as he clubbed Jon round the ear. 'Rich cunts,' he muttered afterwards.

'Stay there,' Lorge commanded as he placed Robb and Jon side by side, with his sword raised.

Stanos turned to find something in the bed rolls near the tent and fire, giving Robb and Jon the impression that they had been in the area for a while. The camp was well set up and didn't look at all rushed.

'Where is it?' Stanos grumbled as Lorge turned to look at his brother.

That was all Jon and Robb needed as they separated and ran in opposite directions as fast as they could. Both then tried to run back in the direction that Stanos and Lorge had led them in the hope that someone may be searching for them.

Robb ran as fast as he could though he was struggling with his arms tied. He felt a graze on his left arm and could feel the sting the arrow had caused. He could hear footsteps behind him and suddenly he tripped and was sent crashing to the ground.

'Gotcha!' Lorge shouted triumphantly brandishing a whip, as he turned Robb over and punched him hard in the face splitting Robb's lip in the process.

'I yield!' Robb cried as Lorge appeared to ready himself to punch Robb again.

Lorge grabbed Robb's jerkin rather than landing another punch and pulled Robb up so that their faces were almost touching. Robb could see Lorge's brown teeth and the anger in his eyes.

'Run again...and I'll make you watch as Stanos rips your brother's skin off. Understand?' Lorge threatened. Robb nodded and Lorge released him winding Robb as he hit the ground. Robb at least knew something, the other brother was named Stanos. He hoped that Jon had somehow escaped.

* * *

Jon continued to run. He wasn't even sure of the direction anymore until he saw the stream ahead. His arms were useless tied in front of him and the burning sensation from the rope on his wrists was a real distraction. The water in his boots meant that his feet were numb but somehow they continued to work as his feet pounded into the earth. Jon fell head first into the dirt as his left leg burned with a searing pain. He avoided hitting his head only because he had fallen on his bound hands with his body crushing them and causing more pain on his wrists. He barely had time to scream in pain before he was roughly turned over and found Stanos staring down at him with ferocity in his eyes.

Stanos held a sword to Jon's chest and spoke, 'Do that again and you and your brother will wish you'd never been born,' he snarled.

Jon nodded his agreement before Stanos hauled Jon to his feet. Jon winced as he put pressure on his left leg. 'It's only a scrape,' Stanos said dismissively as Jon looked down to see blood on his breeches around his calf. 'And I thought you Northerners were supposed to be tough,' Stanos grumbled as he helped Jon back to the camp with a vice-like grip on Jon's arm.

As Jon returned to the camp, his heart sank as he saw Robb with a bust lip tied to a tree. Neither of them had escaped and their captors were likely to be more careful than ever. They had lost their best chance to escape. As Stanos guided Jon to a nearby tree to sit down and be tied like Robb, Jon realised his body needed something. Or rather needed to release something.

'No, I need-' Jon stammered.

'What? What d'you need?' Stanos said aggressively.

'I...I...,' Jon wasn't sure how to say it but Lorge came to his rescue.

'The boy needs a piss, don't you?' Lorge said with a small smile as Jon nodded. 'Come to think of it, so do I. I'll take him.'

Stanos pushed Jon in Lorge's direction and Lorge guided Jon out of the camp but keeping a close watch on him the whole time.

'D'you need to piss as well,' Stanos asked Robb who just nodded in reply. 'We wait till they come back.'

* * *

Ned had given them an hour and a half to return before setting out. Catelyn was furious that they, well Robb, had been allowed to go out in the woods in the first place. She told Ned that if Robb had been hurt it would be all his fault. They were taking the hounds as well in the hope that they would be able to find the correct part of the forest faster and therefore the boys quicker.

They found the trail quickly enough but Ned couldn't stop the dread filling his heart.

Robb and Jon were tied to separate trees as Lorge and Stanos started to eat a cooked rabbit by the fire. Both boys could feel their hunger rumbling in their stomachs but their captors had yet to show any interest in feeding them. They had been given water and their wounds had been washed but that was the limit of the hospitality shown to them.

Once Lorge and Stanos had finished their food they moved towards Jon and Robb and squatted in front of them.

'I'm Lorge and this is my brother Stanos,' Lorge said as though this was just a normal introduction. 'Who are you?'

Both Robb and Jon remained silent and stared back at their captors defiantly. 'Alright, we know who you are,' Stanos smirked at the boys glares. 'Which one of you is Robb Stark? We know the other one is the bastard, so who is the heir?'

Robb and Jon did their best to keep their faces blank as they both quickly realised that the men in front of them didn't know who Robb was and who Jon was. Any hint of who was who and it could be the end for them. Both of them.

'Answer,' Stanos raised his voice before punching Jon whose head hit the tree trunk he was tied.

Jon was stunned from the blow to his face and the knock of his head against the wood. He could feel that his lip had been split and he hoped he hadn't received a gash to the back of his head as well. He felt momentarily woozy.

'No!' Robb shouted as he watched Jon's assault. He nearly said Jon's name but managed to stop himself. Lorge backhanded Robb across the face causing his lip to bleed again after the previous clot was dislodged.

'Tell us,' Lorge growled looking between the two boys who continued to stare blankly back.

'The bastard gets to live,' Stanos glared menacingly as both Robb and Jon stiffened at his words. One of them was going to die.

'Or we kill you both,' Lorge sneered. 'Either way, Lord Stark will be paid back for murdering our father.'

Jon and Robb exchanged glances with fear bright in their eyes. One of them was going to die and they knew these men meant what they had said. Robb felt his fear mirrored in Jon's face as they looked to each other. He was the Stark heir which meant they wanted him and not Jon. He was the valuable hostage that could be exploited. It was his duty to defend his people and Jon was his brother, no matter what his mother said. There was only one choice to be made.

'I am Robb Stark, first born son of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn Stark and heir to Winterfell,' Robb's eyes widened as he heard Jon speak.

'No! Jon you don't have to,' Robb cried without thinking. Lorge and Stanos were watching the boys closely.

'It's ok, Jon,' Jon told Robb in a calmer voice than he expected. Robb's life was more important than his, Jon had always known that. Robb would be Lord of Winterfell one day, while Jon had no future set out for him. Jon knew he would have to scrape up whatever he could and he was already considering joining the Night's Watch like his Uncle Benjen. That was gone now but maybe he would no longer be known as the 'shame of House Stark' if he could protect his brother, Robb. In truth, that was all he ever wanted. To be accepted and not judged by the circumstances of his birth. 'It'll be alright, little brother,' Jon said but a tremor had entered his voice.

'Thought so,' Stanos said triumphantly. 'Little, rich shits like you don't look after their clothes,' he pointed at Jon's boots.

Lorge started rummaging through a leather satchel he had brought and retrieved two vials containing purple liquid. He handed one to Stanos and looked to Robb and Jon.

'You said you were only going to kill one of us,' Jon tried to make his voice sound strong but he wasn't sure he succeeded.

Lorge chuckled. 'This just makes you sleep.' He moved over to Robb. 'Open your mouth,' but Robb stubbornly refused to. Lorge then held Robb's nose closed so Robb had to gasp to breathe. Lorge took his chance and poured the contents of the vial down Robb's throat making Robb cough and splutter. Lorge just grinned as Robb's eyes began to droop.

'You'll be good, won't you?' Stanos said to Jon and Jon obediently opened his mouth, wondering if he would ever wake. Would they kill him in his sleep? Was he actually drinking poison and was Robb already dead?

Jon felt his eyes droop and he fell asleep with too many questions and very little hope.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Apologies for how long this has taken. I've just not had time to do any writing at all. This may also be a bit rough around the edges because of that, so please let me know if there is something I need to fix.**

**Catelyn doesn't come off great here and there are scenes of torture which I have indicated by *** surrounding the section if you wish to avoid it.**

* * *

Chapter 3

The hounds were on the trail and Ned could feel his stomach churning. It was dark now and the woods always took on an eerie presence after the sun had set. Wolves could be heard howling and crows cawed in the trees, their calls a haunting presence throughout the dark woods. The hounds started barking loudly and Ned dismounted from his horse, followed by Ser Rodrik. Jory had ridden with the hounds and was further ahead.

'Lord Stark!' Jory yelled from a short distance away. Ned ran, cloak billowing as his fear and distress made themselves his companions. His senses were assaulted all at once as he entered the clearing. The smell of blood was sickening but not enough to turn the stomach of a veteran soldier, although some of the younger Stark soldiers seemed to be struggling to keep the contents of their stomachs down. Ned's eyes flitted as he noticed the bodies of the four soldiers he had sent with Robb and Jon sprawled across the ground. Fear truly had a hold on him now.

'My Lord,' Jory called quietly disturbing Ned's thoughts. 'He's alive.' Jory was knelt by a smaller body. The fifth body. As he moved closer he could see in the torchlight that it was Robb, his eldest son and heir.

Ned fell to his knees and scooped a sleeping Robb into his arms. Robb was warm and he was breathing softly which finally convinced Ned that his son was alive. Robb's lip was split and he had an injury to his arm which looked minor but infection was sure to be a risk. Ned knew he needed to get Robb to Maester Luwin as soon as possible, but most importantly, his son was alive and relief washed over him.

He looked around the clearing and his stomach dropped at the sight. There were four corpses and Robb was in his arms. Jon was nowhere to be seen.

'The hounds have found the trail,' Ser Rodrik announced as he returned. In truth, Ned hadn't even noticed he had gone.

'Ser Rodrik, take Robb back to Winterfell and have Maester Luwin see to him immediately,' Ned ordered. He had to find Jon. He had to find his sister's son.

The hounds followed the trail until they came to a stream and Ned instantly knew they were going to struggle to find Jon. Whoever had taken Jon was clearly intelligent enough to use the stream to evade the scent tracking of the hounds and make themselves harder to find. Suddenly, the skies opened and the threatened rain began to fall heavily over Winterfell and the surrounding area. Puddles of mud were quick to form and Ned knew it was hopeless to continue searching in the dark.

Jory was determinedly searching further upstream but the rain would also make any trail disappear quickly. They had no idea of knowing which direction Jon had been taken. If Jon's captors were intelligent enough to walk through the stream they could also have doubled back on themselves and crossed to the other side. It was hopeless.

After another half an hour of searching with no result, Ned finally called off the search for Jon until the morning. The hounds couldn't help anymore as the scent trail had stopped at the stream and the rain would have done the rest. The men were tired and wet and Ned knew they would have to resume the search in daylight to look for a visible trail. He also knew that the chances of finding Jon alive were dwindling, fast.

* * *

Ned returned to Winterfell with a heavy heart. Jon would likely be found dead and Robb was injured. He made his way to Robb's bedroom to find Robb abed with Catelyn and Maester Luwin at his bedside.

'My Lord,' Maester Luwin greeted Ned as he entered the room. Catelyn was making one of her 'prayer wheels' to the seven gods she worshipped and glared rather harshly at him.

'How is he?' Ned asked as he approached the bed.

'His cuts have been cleaned and currently show no signs of infection. He has a lot of bruising to his torso and perhaps even a cracked rib,' Maester Luwin informed Ned.

'Why is he still asleep? Does he have a head wound?' Ned asked quickly. He knew how dangerous head wounds could be. 'No,' Maester Luwin confirmed. 'It seems he has been drugged with Valerien root or something similar.'

'So he will wake?' Ned asked already knowing the answer.

'In time,' the maester confirmed. 'Has there been any sign of Jon?'

Ned noticed Catelyn stiffen at the mention of Jon's name.

'No,' Ned replied with his tone showing how much it hurt him. 'We start again in the morning.' Ned half-expected Catelyn to say that Robb needed his father but she just sat there making her prayer wheel in silence.

* * *

Jon blinked his eyes open and stared at the ground which seemed to be rather fuzzy and he was aware he was soaking wet. He vaguely remembered drinking something before he fell asleep but why was he in the woods? Suddenly, his memory returned and he tried to sit up quickly looking for Robb. All he saw was the grinning faces of his captors which unsettled him. Furthermore, he couldn't see Robb anywhere and he could have sworn the camp looked different.

'We've moved,' Lorge grinned in answer to Jon's unasked question.

'They have probably found your bastard brother by now,' Stanos smirked evilly but Jon felt a sense of relief wash over him. Robb was safe.

'You on the other hand...' Lorge left the rest unsaid but Jon was aware his time left, however long it may be, would not be a happy one.

* * *

Robb woke feeling warm and peaceful. He opened his eyes and recognised his own bedroom with the fire lit and warm furs covering him. For a moment, he basked in the warmth and comfort until the ordeal he had endured reared its ugly head.

'Jon!' he shouted as he bolted upright pulling his badly bruised ribs making him hiss in pain. Warm hands encased him as he felt his mother's arms around him.

'Hush now,' Catelyn soothed as she held her eldest son. 'You're safe.'

'But Jon?' Robb could only think of his brother. He looked to his mother who frowned as he asked.

Maester Luwin entered before Catelyn could reply.

'You're awake,' the maester said as he sat on Robb's bed. 'How do you feel?'

Robb considered asking after Jon again but he knew Maester Luwin would want to know how he was feeling before answering the question.

'My chest hurts and so does my arm where the arrow grazed it,' Robb answered and Maester Luwin nodded. 'What about Jon?'

Maester Luwin exchanged a look with Lady Stark before Catelyn replied, 'Don't worry about that now. We need to make sure you get better.'

Robb, of course, knew of his mother's hatred for his half-brother but her answer made his anger flare. 'Where is Jon?!' he shouted hoping that the noise would finally make someone tell him what had happened. He wasn't stupid though, Jon wasn't in Winterfell, that much was clear.

The door opened and Robb instantly looked up to see his father enter the room.

'We haven't found Jon, yet,' Ned Stark answered the question he must have heard Robb shouting. 'We will resume the search at first light.'

'No! You have to find him now!' Robb was struggling to get the urgency across as his head had started to pound and he tried to get out of bed.

'I'm sure they will find him,' Catelyn tried to reassure him as she managed to stop him kicking his legs which were tangled in the furs.

'No, it's **my** fault,' Robb was becoming more distressed by the second.

'Of course it's not your fault,' Ned sat on the bed and tried to get Robb to look at him and stop thrashing.

'No, you don't understand!' Robb shook his head from side to side in anguish, not hearing his mother ask for something to calm him from Maester Luwin.

'What d'you mean Robb?' Ned asked curiously, taking his son's words as more than just guilt at being home and Jon not.

'They wanted me...to...to...to kill me,' Robb let the tears fall as he looked to his father. 'They said you killed their father. Their names were Lorge and Stanos. Jon told them he was me and I was the bastard...so...I could...live,' Robb finished in bursts of sobs before Maester Luwin managed to press a vial to Robb's lips and Robb drank instinctively.

* * *

Ned felt shocked by Robb's revelation. He had always known that being Lord of Winterfell carried risks for his children but he could never have imagined this. Robb was asleep again but it made sense to Ned that the men who captured Robb and Jon were relatives or close to the poacher he had executed only days ago. Of course, this could also be a grudge held for far longer than that. Ned had instructed Jory and Ser Rodrik to have the horses and men ready at daybreak. The driving rain was not weather for looking for tracks or any sign of Jon, they would have to wait till the rain stopped or at the very least that it was light.

The door to Ned's study opened and his wife entered quietly and shut the door behind her. Catelyn generally ignored Jon due to her judgement of his bastard status, which Ned couldn't truly blame her for as very few lord's brought their bastards home for their wife to see every day. Still, Ned had sworn to keep Jon safe and now it looked as though he had failed. He had failed his sister.

Catelyn sat down opposite her husband and saw the emotions that he couldn't hide from her. Her husband wasn't a man who showed much emotion but she had learned to read the subtleties of his face and what they meant. She saw guilt, concern and most of all...fear.

'Jon is strong,' she said as Ned finally looked up from the spot he was staring at on the table. The name felt unfamiliar to her as she rarely addressed Jon by his name and barely at all. She couldn't help the hurt she felt when thinking about the boy and even worse when seeing him, as he looked far more a Stark than her own trueborn children, save for Arya. Maybe, Robb's lack of Northern looks had been what saved him? Convinced them that Jon was the heir?

'He has been taken to get to me!' Ned snapped and suddenly stood making Catelyn jump. 'It could have been Robb, should have been Robb, but Jon...Jon...'

Catelyn saw the anger when her husband had mentioned how Robb should have been taken and now the anguish that Jon was not safe. She knew he loved Jon and she couldn't fault him for that.

She moved to place her arms around her husband and his anguish at the situation showed as he almost fell against her. 'You will find him,' she whispered but she felt a momentary pang of guilt when she realised she would prefer it if they only found a body.

* * *

*******Jon must have dozed off again as he woke tied to a tree and with a crick in his neck. He was cold and wet as the rain continued to fall but the tree had at least kept him out of the driving draining that continued to patter loudly against the ground. He looked around the camp to find both Lorge and Stanos were nowhere to be seen but the fire was burning enough to suggest they would be back, soon.

Jon tried to move his hands but the rope had been wound around the tree, meaning that he could barely clasp his hands together in front of him. He tried to shift himself but only succeeded in making the coarse rope chafe against his already sore wrists.

'Awake I see,' Lorge's voice made Jon shiver with fear. The man had been behind him the whole time.

Suddenly, Jon was drenched by cold water as Lorge poured a bucket over Jon's head. The shock and temperature of the water made Jon shiver involuntarily. It also reminded him that he really needed a piss. The cold water was making Jon pant as he struggled to catch his breath and that was all he could currently hear. He knew he had been moved but so far he had no indication where but he also knew that nobody would be looking for him in the rain and the darkness.

Jon heard noise around him but he focused on his breathing as he stared at his legs. He didn't want to make eye-contact with the men as he didn't want them to see the brim of tears he was trying to blink away.

Lorge and Stanos busied themselves preparing the rabbit they had caught earlier and ignored Jon for the time being.

Jon finally glanced up when he smelt the rabbit cooking over the fire. His stomach grumbled as the food he had eaten with Robb seemed like a lifetime ago and the rabbit smelt delicious. Over the crackling of the fire Jon could also hear the trickle of running water, which meant that possibly the same stream they had walked through earlier was nearby. It also reminded him of how much he needed to piss. His wet clothes still clung to him but it seemed that the rain was starting to ease off.

'Hungry are you?' Stanos grinned with a glare in his eyes. Jon didn't react knowing that the food was not for him.

'Bet you've never been truly hungry before,' Lorge sneered as he turned to look at Jon. 'Little lords like you always have everything seen to. Never have to worry what hunger or thirst is. Never been truly cold.' Jon did his best to keep a straight face as Lorge had all but confirmed that Jon wouldn't be getting anything to eat or drink in the near future. Jon licked his lips and already felt them starting to chap.

Jon must have nodded off again as he was once again woken by being splashed with cold water. He shivered as the cold chill of the night started to seep into his bones.

'Can't have you falling asleep, can we?' Stanos said as he idly took the dagger from his side. Jon tensed as he saw the dagger which made Stanos grin nastily.

'You know brother...those wet clothes won't do him much good,' Lorge looked to his brother who instantly grinned. Jon knew they weren't going to give him a towel and clean clothes.

'Hold 'im,' Stanos said to Lorge who instantly held Jon back against the tree. Jon tried to struggle but the sight of Stanos' dagger instantly stopped him. 'Can't have you sitting around it wet clothes, can we?' Stanos waved his dagger menacingly.

Jon closed his eyes as he felt his clothing being torn off. The was a small sense of relief as his wet, clingy clothes were no longer stuck to his skin, but even in summer the nights weren't warm and Jon began to shiver as his torso was exposed to the elements.

'Keep still or something will be nicked,' Lorge warned as Jon realised they intended to cut his breeches off too.

Reflexively, Jon kicked out and caught Stanos on the shin making the man growl. Stanos retaliated by hitting Jon across the face which left Jon momentarily dazed.

Jon could feel his breeches being removed and hoped he would at least have his undergarments left, although being wet they were likely to be see-through anyway.

Stanos finished removing Jon's breeches and then took Jon's clothes and placed the torn garments in the fire with a nasty grin.

'What about the boots?' Lorge asked as Jon could do nothing but sit in his undergarments and wait.

'You're right brother,' Stanos chuckled. 'He looks ridiculous and they have holes in anyway.'

'Not worthy of the heir to Winterfell,' Lorge guffawed.

Jon didn't put up a fight as they removed his boots and his socks. He was cold now and the chill was starting to make his muscles not want to cooperate. He knew that being too cold would eventually kill him and he wondered if that was their plan. His toes were starting to feel numb as were his hands. A light mist had now descended on the woods and Jon felt even colder. For now, they had left him alone as they drank wine in front of the fire. Jon wasn't close enough to feel the fire's warmth and his fingers were starting to go numb. Jon didn't realise he was being watched as he shifted slightly to try and take the pressure off his bladder.

Lorge and Stanos approached Jon who did his best to stare back defiantly.

'You know brother I need to piss,' Lorge looked to his brother with a smile.

'Me too,' Stanos replied.

Jon wondered for a moment if they were going to piss on him but instead the men decided to piss on to the trees next to Jon. Both men made quite a show of saying how much of a relief it was to finally empty their bladders. Jon stared at his knees as he tried to block them out but his own urgency to piss was brought to the forefront of his mind again. He also wondered how they had known.

'He's quite the stubborn little lord,' Stanos teased.

Suddenly, Stanos pushed Jon back against the tree and Jon felt panic rise up. Was this the end? With Stanos holding Jon, Lorge lifted his right foot and Jon closed his eyes.

'Open them,' Stanos growled and started to squeeze Jon's neck until he did. Lorge pressed his foot onto Jon's stomach and applied light pressure.

Jon instantly squirmed as the pressure increased his need to piss. Lorge and Stanos just grinned at each other as Lorge started to increase the pressure. Jon shut his eyes in an effort to block everything out and tried to focus on his breathing. Jon continued to hold out as Lorge continued to apply the pressure.

Jon could feel tears welling in his eyes as the pressure became too much and he released his bladder. He felt the warmth of his urine run down his legs, spread across his underclothes and pool beneath him. He was sat in a mess of his own making. Shame built up in him and the tears began to fall. He could hear the laughter of his captors and he wished his ordeal was over, one way or another.

'Look at him. He's pissed himself,' Lorge crowed as Stanos grabbed Jon's chin so they were eye to eye.

'You filthy little boy,' Stanos sneered and dropped Jon's chin.

Jon heard Stanos' dagger unsheathe and closed his eyes. Hands were suddenly on him and the dagger was in-between his legs. Jon panicked and tried to move but the cold had meant his body struggled to react.

'Careful, unless you want to be a eunuch,' Stanos growled.

Jon stopped fighting as he realised what they were doing. His underclothes were cut away leaving him naked and sitting in a pool of his own urine. Stanos again tossed the garment in the fire leaving Jon sat there as they walked back to the fire. Jon was just glad they made no other comments.*******

* * *

Ned was awake well before dawn. He decided to go to the kitchens to see if he could scrape something to eat as he wanted to leave as soon as it started to get light, if not before. He was not surprised when he encountered the cook looking harassed with Jory and Ser Rodrik already in the kitchen.

'Couldn't sleep?' Ser Rodrik asked Ned but they both knew the answer.

'No,' Ned answered anyway as a rather hot, freshly baked roll of bread was thrust into his hands by the cook. 'Just anxious to find Jon.' Ned should have scolded the cook for her actions but he dismissed it as she deposited an oven full of rolls into a basket with some ham and cheese. She had obviously been run off her feet and the last thing she needed was a grumpy lord.

Ned bit into the roll more out of habit than hunger but found his stomach was grateful for the food.

'We've got everything,' Ser Rodrik announced as he picked up the basket and Jory picked up another basket from the other table, which Ned hadn't even noticed.

They left the harassed cook to continue with the breakfast preparations for the rest of the castle and walked out to the courtyard to find the horses, hounds and men ready for the day's search.

Ned smiled at men who knew him so well and were loyal to a fault. The sun was barely starting to rise but by the time they entered the woods the sun would start to rapidly lighten the sky.

They quickly returned to the area where Robb and the bodies of the Stark soldiers had been found. (The bodies had been removed the night before and returned to their families with their Lord's sincerest condolences.) The hounds were given Jon's scent from a shirt Jory had taken out of Jon's room and they separated into two groups, one going back the way they came and the other ahead. It was also decided that both sides of the stream would be searched.

* * *

Jon was woken once more by cold water washing over him, making him shiver but not as much as it should have done. He was ashamed of his nakedness in front of his captors, but as he looked up he could see the sky starting to lighten through the trees. Was there a chance of a rescue? He wasn't sure and he really didn't like how Stanos was staring at him. Jon noticed that the camp had been packed away which meant that they must have horses nearby, although Jon had not seen or heard them.

Lorge began to untie Jon from the tree and then tied Jon's hands in front of him, scraping the already damaged skin and hauled him to his feet. Stanos twirled his knife menacingly and Jon felt his fear truly rise. They were done playing with him and this was the end. Lorge pushed Jon making him stumble as his legs didn't want to work, whether it was due to cold, shock or fear Jon didn't know. He could barely feel his toes and they looked pale with his toenails a purple/blue colour.

They arrived at a stream which Jon thought must have been the same one they had walked through before. Lorge pushed him in so the water was over his ankles and Jon felt his balance sway, though the force of the water was not strong.

'Kneel,' Stanos growled as he threatened Jon with the blade. Jon stood his ground and glared back. He was standing naked before these men after they had tortured and shamed him, but he would not kneel. He would die on his feet.

'Kneel,' Stanos growled again as Lorge chuckled behind Jon.

'He is stubborn,' Lorge grinned.

Suddenly, the barking of hounds caught their attention and Stanos snarled, 'I wish I could see your father's face.'

Jon wasn't quick enough as Stanos raised the blade to the right side of Jon's neck. Jon's foot slipped on a wet rock as the blade tore through his neck and he was sent crashing into the stream, with the sting of the blade the only thing he knew. He didn't hear the footsteps running away from him, nor did he hear the barks, shouts and hooves approaching. He was just glad his torment was over.

* * *

**A/N: I felt the torture was necessary for them to humilate Jon, who they think is Robb, as otherwise they would have just killed him and been done with it. It gave them the power they wished they'd had to save their father in a rather nasty projection of how helpless they were and now how helpless Jon is. **

**I hope you enjoyed it. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello. I do apologise for the update on this being so long. Life got in the way as did some horrible person who commented on every single story how bad a writer I am, pretty much daily for a couple of months. They were a guest and there was little I could do about it. Also, apologies if you have left guest comments that didn't appear as it is possible that because of the aforementioned person I may have deleted them by mistake.**

**Thank you for your patience.**

**Just to clarify, I worked back the ages of the Stark children from the tv show:**

**Robb and Jon are 12**

**Sansa is 8**

**Arya is 7**

**Bran is 5 and Rickon (who is only mentioned) is 1.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. All mistakes are mine and if you do find a 'whopper' please let me know. :)**

* * *

Chapter 4

The hounds continued to hunt for Jon's scent and every minute passed far too slowly and far too quickly for Ned's liking. Ned was starting to wonder if they would even find a trace of Jon when the hounds started barking frantically and Jory called out, 'They've got the scent!'

Ned kicked his stallion forward as they followed the hounds through the trees. Ned and Jory had gone upstream with their hounds, while Ser Rodrik had taken his hounds downstream in case Jon's captors had doubled back on themselves.

The hounds had stopped at a small clearing and Ned's heart sank as they approached. There was an abandoned fire and the hounds were circling, indicating that they had lost the scent again.

Jory dismounted quickly and started to scour the area. Ned also tried to scour the scene but he realised how stupid he had been to think they would find Jon without resistance, just left there for them to find. Ned sent a man to find Ser Rodrik and bring the rest of the hounds their way as the hounds once again led them back to the stream.

Ned sighed deeply as he contemplated how unlikely they were to find Jon alive. Jon had sacrificed himself to save Robb, but Ned would have traded their places if he could. This was done to get back at him and neither Jon, nor Robb, should have had to pay the price.

Ned looked up to Jory who had a frown on his face. 'Jory?' Ned called out to get the man's attention.

Jory walked over to Ned and sighed with a hand on his hips. 'They were here,' he said confidently. 'There is some blood on the bark of those two trees,' he pointed to the trees, 'and there are some footprints around. I'd say two men and Robb and Jon.'

'Robb and Jon?' Ned was a little confused.

'I think they were held here first,' Jory explained. 'Then they purposefully took Jon and left Robb back where they were ambushed.'

Ned tried to think back to what Robb had said. His son had been so distressed that Maester Luwin had given him something to calm down but the captors must have had them together if Jon had told them that he was Robb. Ned had just assumed it had happened where Robb and the other bodies were found.

Jory continued to survey the area and disappeared upstream with a couple of hounds, leaving Ned to wallow in his worry. His sister's son was missing and possibly dead. All Ned could think about was how he had failed in his promise to keep Jon safe.

'Where's Jory?' Ser Rodrik startled Ned as if appearing out of thin air.

'Gone further upstream,' Ned replied with dejection.

Suddenly, the hounds Jory had left behind started to bark loudly and quickly crossed the stream. Ned and Ser Rodrik, along with the rest of the search party, mounted their horses and quickly followed. They crossed the stream and soon found Jory upstream.

'They've found the scent again,' Jory explained.

'How did you know to cross the stream?' Ned asked. 'The other two places were on the other side.'

'I figured if they were smart enough to use the stream once, they maybe decided to cross as we'd likely stay on the same side,' Jory shrugged. 'It's what I'd have done.'

The hounds were released again as the men followed behind as closely as they could. Ned could feel his stomach starting to twist again as the hounds continued to run, on and on.

Jory stopped his horse first and Ned nearly led his horse into Jory's but thankfully his animal was aware enough to avoid an embarrassing collision.

'What is it?' Ned asked brusquely.

'Does the water look pink to you?' Jory asked squinting at the stream beside them.

'Aye. It has tinge,' Ser Rodrik answered.

Jory took off as the hounds gathered pace again. Ned struggled to keep up, as fear gripped him and made his body numb to his brain's commands.

The first thing Ned saw as he approached the gathered hounds was Jory bent over in the stream. He had shed his cloak, which lay on the ground near the water, and he seemed to be cradling something in his arms.

Ned didn't hear what Jory shouted or Rodrik's response as men charged further upstream with Ser Rodrik at the head. Ned felt his heart hammering in his chest and yet the beats seemed slow to him. It was only when he saw the tuft of dark curls as Jory shifted slightly that Ned finally saw things happening in real time.

'Jon!' Ned screamed as he tried to push Jory aside to cradle his nephew. Jory moved but would not take his hand from Jon's neck. Ned was soaked through very quickly but he hardly felt it as he cradled Jon, who was as naked as the day he was born, in his arms. Jon's body was covered with numerous bruises and he had a nasty gash on his calf. Jon was unconscious as Ned held him closely. Ned then realised why Jory hadn't let go when he saw the blood seeping through Jory's fingers. Jon had a wound on his neck that was bleeding profusely.

Riders returned as Ned, once again, had failed to notice them leave.

'What?' Ned snapped as the men looked solemn.

'We could hear the horses in the distance but it appears they got away, m'lord,' one answered.

'You let them get away!' Ned roared as his anger, grief and frustration reared its ugly head. 'Get away.'

Ned did not notice Ser Rodrik give the scolded men a reassuring look. Jon was pale as Ned held him but he was breathing, which reassured Ned that Jon was alive.

'My Lord,' Jory broke Ned's thoughts with a gentle address. Ned looked up. 'We need to get him back to Winterfell. Maester Luwin may be able to save him.'

Ned managed to snap himself out of his trance. Jon wasn't dead, yet. With Jory's help, he managed to place Jon on Jory's discarded cloak and wrapped him up. Ser Rodrik had kept the other men at a distance to give Jon some privacy, due to his undressed state. Ned mounted his stallion before instructing Jory and Ser Rodrik to lift Jon up onto the horse so Ned could cradle Jon on the ride back. The wound on Jon's neck was bleeding sluggishly now and Ned wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Jon had yet to regain consciousness but Ned could feel Jon's breath on his arm as he held Jory's cloak against the wound.

* * *

Catelyn was sitting with Robb, who was still sleeping due to Maester Luwin's draught, when she heard commotion in the courtyard. She glanced at her son, glad to know he was safe, before leaving the room. Though she wished to stay with Robb, she knew his life was not in danger and with Ned in the woods looking for Jon, she had to complete her role as the Lady of Winterfell.

She arrived in the courtyard with Jory already dismounted from his horse, both of whom were breathing rapidly. Her heart sank slightly as Jory's manner suggested that he had ridden ahead at quite a pace and that meant Jon had been found, most likely, alive.

'What news?' she schooled her voice to hide her disappointment.

'My Lady,' Jory gave a nod of the head. 'May Maester Luwin be found?' he asked. Confirming Catelyn's thought that Maester Luwin would not be asked for unless Jon was still alive.

'I'm here,' the maester approached with a concerned look.

'We found him,' was all Jory said as everyone present knew who 'him' was.

'How badly is he hurt?' Maester Luwin asked, while Catelyn was interested for her own reasons.

'He has a deep cut on his neck that was gushing blood when we found him, but seems to have eased when we started to return to Winterfell,' Jory spoke calmly but there was clear urgency in his voice that truly told how badly he thought Jon was injured.

'That will be the priority,' Master Luwin mumbled. 'What else?'

'He has bruises and cuts. A wound on his calf that will definitely need cleaning but...the thing that makes it worse is the cold,' Jory relayed the injuries he could remember.

'Cold?' Catelyn asked. It was summer and there was a chill in the air no doubt, but the children always had clothes well suited to the conditions.

'Yes, my Lady,' Jory looked grimly at Catelyn. 'From the heat of Jon's body when I held him, I would say he had been undressed for quite a while.'

'Undressed? In this weather?' Catelyn asked looking shocked.

'My Lady, I suspect the men holding Jon may have exposed him to the elements as a form of torture,' Master Luwin looked grim as he spoke. Catelyn's eyes widened at the maester's statement.

'The cold would slow his reactions and make him weaker,' Jory explained. 'It is also possible that they may have planned to kill him by hyperthermia and dehydration. The wound on his neck looked fresh so must have happened moments before we found him. They must have heard the hounds and fled, but not without injuring Jon.'

'Have they been found?' Catelyn ground out. While she had no love for Jon, the men who had caused the boy's suffering were despicable in her eyes.

'No, I regret not,' Jory answered with a growl, which told both Catelyn and Maester Luwin that those men best hope they never meet Jory.

'I shall prepare for Jon's arrival in his room,' Maester Luwin turned and walked back into the castle.

'How bad is he?' Catelyn asked trying to keep her tone neutral.

'His fate is in the hands of the Gods now,' was all Jory said as he moved to keep vigil by the gate.

* * *

Ned rode as fast as he dared, trying to balance speed and not wanting to stress Jon any more than he had to. He had already sent Jory ahead to inform Maester Luwin of Jon's condition, so that the maester could be prepared for Jon's arrival. Jon's breathing remained laboured but every breath reassured Ned that Jon was alive and that he was fighting.

The gates of Winterfell seemed to taunt Ned, as if they were retreating with every stride his horse took to keep him away, but eventually he rode through the gates with a still unconscious Jon is arms. Jory quickly took Jon from Ned's embrace and Jon was whisked away into the castle.

Catelyn quickly moved towards Ned as he dismounted his horse and embraced him as he turned to her. She could feel the rigid tension throughout his body and knew that he was suffering. Ned buried his head in his wife's neck as he took comfort from her embrace.

'I need to find Maester Luwin,' Ned said as he pulled away from her and entered the castle. He was dreading what Maester Luwin would say, but he needed the truth.

Catelyn watched her husband walk away. She knew Ned loved Jon and that the circumstances of Jon's birth hadn't affected her husband's love for the boy. She couldn't bring herself to feel anything but hatred for the boy whose very existence told everyone of her husband's infidelity. His mere presence insulted her and she couldn't understand why Ned wouldn't just send him away to foster with another lord. Seeing Robb and Jon together made her even more wary. Though she had given birth to three boys and two girls, she worried that the difference in age between Robb and Bran could be exploited by Jon. Should anything happen to Ned and Robb, Bran would really be too young to lead and Jon could potentially claim Winterfell for himself. It was unlikely, she knew that. The Northern Lords would not just instil a bastard as Lord of Winterfell but if King Robert decided to legitimise Jon then he would rule Winterfell legitimately. In truth, she had already wondered why Ned hadn't asked Robert already. Ned had never mentioned it, but she was sure there was a disagreement somewhere as Ned hadn't spoken very warmly of Robert in recent times.

'My Lady?' a servant called raising Catelyn from her thoughts and setting her back to her work.

* * *

When Ned entered Jon's room he found Maester Luwin tending to the wound on Jon's neck while Jory stood close by. Ned immediately wanted to ask Jon's prognosis but left the maester to work. Ned suddenly felt the door open behind him and looked back to see a wide-eyed and very scared Robb.

'What happened? He's hurt! Is he going to die?' Robb ran into the room staring solely at the stricken form of Jon on the bed. Ned managed to catch Robb before he could cause any damage.

'Robb, calm down,' Ned said in a calmer voice than he expected as he restrained his son from getting too close.

'This is all my fault,' Robb suddenly collapsed, sobbing into his father's arms. 'I shouldn't have let it happen.'

'Shush, Robb,' Ned managed to manoeuvre Robb into a chair by Jon's bed. 'This isn't your fault and Jon would never blame you.'

'But I shouda...should've told them...the tru...truth,' Robb sobbed. Ned sighed as he held his trembling son in his arms. Ned knew that if Jon died, it wasn't just him who would be devastated.

Ned quietly ushered Robb out of the room to Ser Rodrik, who took Robb back to his room to rest.

It took many minutes for Maester Luwin to complete his assessment of Jon's condition, but for Ned it felt like hours. Jory was silent beside Jon's bed, occasionally doing as he was instructed by the maester. Finally, Master Luwin finished his assessment and turned to Ned.

'Well, how is...what are his chances?' Ned stuttered.

'He has a lot of bruising and the cut on his calf may become infected. The neck wound has not penetrated deeply...' Ned sighed with relief before noticing the maester's expression.

'Go on,' Ned prodded feeling his dread building.

'The wound is not deep but from the location it wouldn't need to be for it to be fatal,' Maester Luwin explained and Ned felt his heart stop momentarily. 'However, I would have expected him to have passed already.'

'What are you saying?' Ned asked, clearly confused.

'I think...I think the cold may have saved him,' Maester Luwin tried to explain. 'We believe that the cold draws blood away from the skin and closer to the organs that need it.'

'So what you're saying is, that the cold means surface wounds won't bleed as much?' Jory asked, speaking for the first time since Ned had arrived.

'Possibly,' the maester answered.

'What are his chances?' Ned just needed to know what would likely happen to Jon.

'It's difficult to say,' the maester pondered. 'He has lost a lot of blood and is very dehydrated. His body is also suffering from the cold, which may have stemmed the blood loss but causes its own problems. I will clean and stitch his wounds and raise his body warmth slowly, but I cannot guarantee anything.'

Ned left Maester Luwin to his work to check on his other children. He searched for a while but could not find his children anywhere. He had asked, and subsequently alarmed, his wife who hadn't seen them either and she started to panic. Ned found Ser Rodrik and told him the situation before retiring to the Godswood.

Ned found the Godswood to be a calming place and he hoped that the Gods would hear his prayers for Jon. He stopped abruptly as he entered the small clearing where the Heart Tree and pond were located because the sight he saw made him smile brightly.

His children, except for Rickon who could barely toddle, were sat at the base of the Heart Tree in a circle holding hands. Ned waited for a moment before announcing his presence. He was sure Arya had never been still for this long in her life! Even little Bran was barely fidgeting, while Sansa looked calm, serene and very much the young lady. Robb was clearly leading the prayer as Ned could see him speaking but he couldn't quite hear the words. There was no doubt that this vigil was for Jon and that Robb would have told his brother and sisters what had happened.

After a few minutes, Ned walked towards his children, his feet crunching the twigs on the ground.

Robb looked up. 'Father,' he looked up worriedly towards Ned as did the other children. 'How is he?'

'Is Jon going to die?' Arya shot to her feet with tears in her eyes. Arya wasn't one for crying but she was close now. Ned knew Arya and Jon were close but he had never really understood why.

Ned sighed and sat down on a nearby boulder. 'I won't lie to you, my children. Jon is very ill. Maester Luwin doesn't know if Jon can be saved.'

* * *

It was a nervous week for many within Winterfell's walls. Jon's wounds had not become infected, which was a relief to many, but the effect of the cold on Jon had caused him to develop pneumonia. He had been weakened by the infection in his lungs while a fever raged across his brow. Jon had not woken since he had been found and Maester Luwin was a constant presence by his bedside, often accompanied by Lord Stark and Robb.

Ned was struggling, he freely admitted that. His hope, that Jon would recover quickly when the wounds had been kept clean and Jon was warm again, had been dashed after a couple of days, when Jon started to struggle to breathe. Ned kept a close vigil over Jon with Maester Luwin always close at hand. Robb was being affected too, as his guilt at Jon's condition continued to increase as the days went on. Robb was becoming far more subdued and barely wanted to train anymore without Jon. Arya was even more wilful than normal and Bran, who didn't really understand what was happening, cried when he was alone. Sansa seemed to be holding up the best, but she had never been especially close to Jon. She had also been sitting with Jon if no-one else was available. Lady Catelyn had disliked Sansa sitting with her bastard brother but Ned had already agreed when Catelyn found Sansa at Jon's bedside. Catelyn stayed away from Jon and busied herself with the running of Winterfell and picking up the slack when Ned was sitting with Jon. The bandage on Jon's neck wound haunted her as she realised it could have been Robb in that bed fighting for his life. Jon was the reason her son was alive, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

* * *

Jon wasn't sure where he was. He wasn't cold, he wasn't hungry and he wasn't in pain. It was almost as if he wasn't...here at all. He blinked his eyes as all he could see was darkness. His eyes watered as he remembered the events that had occurred with Lorge and Stanos, how they had tortured him. Tears ran down his cheeks in shame at his ordeal. How he wasn't strong enough to stop them and couldn't defend himself. It was then that he realised that he must be dead. How else could he feel no pain, cold or anything?

Jon was walking in the darkness as there was nothing else to do. It seemed there was nothing to bump into, otherwise he would have managed it by now. He didn't know if his actions had truly saved Robb, but the thought that Robb was ok lifted his spirits slightly. Should he have emotions if he was dead?

Jon suddenly realised that he could see some light now, instead of just the darkness. He was instantly transported to a meadow with grass all around him and trees in the distance. It looked like the fields around Winterfell but the huge castle was nowhere in sight. He turned around and found that mist was approaching. It wasn't uncommon in the North, even in summer. Jon watched as the mist spread across the landscape, covering all the colours and leaving Jon feeling cold for the first time.

Jon turned, he wasn't sure in which direction, and saw that he wasn't alone on the mist covered meadow. There was a woman there and she was smiling broadly, fondly. Jon felt a spike of panic which dissipated as soon as it had struck. The woman continued to smile and Jon couldn't help but stare at her. She was taller than him, but not by much. Her hair was black and her eyes were brown. She looked so familiar but Jon was sure he had never seen her before in his life. She continued to smile warmly at him but he couldn't work out why. He stepped towards her but she stepped back instantly. Jon looked at her quizzically.

'Not today, Jon,' she said in a voice he was sure he had heard before. The fondness and joy in her voice was clear. Her smile had yet to fade, though she had been smiling at him for a while. Jon was confused by her and yet comforted at the same time. Who was she?

Jon heard a noise behind him and reluctantly turned away from the ever smiling woman. There were two giant direwolves, as grey as the sigil of House Stark, behind him and surrounding them were five pups in varying shades of grey. A happy family, all together. Out of the corner of his eye Jon saw some movement. As he approached he found another direwolf pup, sitting alone next to a tree and looking rather sad, or at least Jon thought so. The pup was pure white, not grey like the others. Jon also noticed the pup had eyes as red as rubies.

Jon picked up the pup who instantly cuddled into his chest before Jon turned to see the woman still smiling. Suddenly, the mist thickened and she disappeared, along with the direwolves, except for the one he was holding. Jon instantly felt their loss and the pup jumped out of his arms, baring its teeth. Jon felt a shiver go down his spine as he followed the pup towards a noise in the distance.

Jon jumped back in shock as he saw Lorge and Stanos sitting around a fire. Jon couldn't hear what they were saying and nor did he want to. He thought it was clear that they were talking about him from their expressions. They seemed to be gleeful but Jon could sense the darkness behind their expressions. Jon noticed the direwolf pup was gone and he suddenly felt very alone until the poachers were attacked by a larger version of the pup. Jon wondered how the pup had grown so quickly, but the direwolf soon had the men pleading for their lives. Jon was shocked to find himself feeling satisfaction at the men's pleas and turned away.

Suddenly, Jon found himself on top of the Wall, or at least that was where he assumed he was. He had never been to the Wall but it was such a large structure that you could see it from Winterfell. His Uncle Benjen was a member of the Night's Watch and had told Jon many stories about the Wall and beyond it. Jon made his way to the edge and stared down and saw an almighty drop beneath him. He had already started to think about what he would do when he was old enough to leave Winterfell. He was never going to be a lord, he knew that, so he was already thinking about joining the Night's Watch himself. He supposed he couldn't join if he was dead. The large, white direwolf nearly gave Jon a fright as it appeared in his peripheral vision before coming completely to his side. Jon looked back across the land beyond the Wall and saw people gathering together. He supposed that they were wildlings but he couldn't be sure as he had never met one, nor did he really want to. He knew something was wrong though. The people appeared to be looking up at him but he couldn't properly tell due to the distance and the snow which had started to fall.

'Lord Snow,' a sneering voice spoke behind him. Jon turned around to see an unfamiliar man looking at him with distaste. The man pushed Jon forcefully off the Wall as the direwolf howled. Jon was falling towards the people gathered below, wondering how he could die again if he was already dead. The people below turned to face him and Jon realised what was wrong. Their eyes were all the same colour. Bright blue.

* * *

Jon screamed as he fell, flailed his arms and legs as if it could help. For some reason he felt as though his arms were being held to stop him, so he thrashed even harder.

'Jon,' a voice called. 'Jon, please stop,' the voice was more urgent. It was a voice he recognised. 'Jon, calm down,' he knew that voice.

He stopped his flailing and opened his eyes. _Wait, he opened them_. Jon was confused as light seemed to blind him. _It was light at the Wall._ His vision slowly returned and the first thing he saw was blue eyes! He scrambled again but the voice said, 'Stop,' rather sternly, and he obeyed.

'San...sa?' Jon croaked as red hair came into his vision, revealing his sister.

'It's ok, Jon,' Sansa said quietly, looking slightly shaken.

It took a few moments for Jon's brain to catch up. He was in a room. His room. Sansa poured a cup of water and gently pressed it to Jon's lips, while holding his head for support. She took the cup away too quickly for Jon's liking. He wondered why Sansa was there at all.

'Robb!' Jon shouted as he tried to sit up, startling Sansa in the process. 'Is Robb ok?'

'Jon,' Sansa was calm, 'Robb is fine.' It was just what Jon needed to hear as he collapsed back into bed. Sansa stood up and moved towards the door. Jon wanted to shout to her, 'Don't go', but he didn't have the energy.

Sansa opened the door a crack and said, 'Fetch Maester Luwin. Jon is awake,' before she sat down again. 'Would you like some more water?' Sansa asked as Jon gently nodded his head. He could feel his eyelids starting to droop as the bed felt warm and comfortable.

* * *

Ned was in a meeting with Lord Manderly, discussing fishing quotas when the guard nervously entered the room.

'Yes?' Ned asked without looking up from the documents.

'Lady Sansa has requested Maester Luwin,' the guard answered and Ned immediately turned his attention to the man, as did Maester Luwin from his position beside Lord Stark.

'Why?' the maester asked in his quiet manner.

The guard smiled, 'Jon is awake.'

Ned pushed his chair back, making a scraping sound on the stone floor. 'Forgive me, Lord Manderly, but...'

Ned was waved away by the beaming larger man. 'No need, I shall wait.'

Ned arrived at Jon's room with apprehension. He pushed the door open to see Sansa sat next to Jon's bed reading a book aloud and Jon lying still with his eyes closed.

Sansa turned to the door when she heard it open, 'Hello Father,' she smiled sweetly. It was then that Jon moved and slowly opened his eyes.

'Jon,' Ned gasped and instantly sat down on Jon's bed so he could pull Jon into his arms. 'You're awake,' it was almost a whisper from the quiet man but Jon could hear the relief.

Maester Luwin entered the room, having stopped off for at his rooms for supplies, and smiled warmly as he placed his things on a nearby table.

'How are you feeling Jon?' the maseter asked kindly as Ned finally lowered Jon back onto the bed.

'Mmmmrrr,' Jon groaned, unable to say anything but Maester Luwin just laughed kindly.

'Father?' Sansa's voice rang out.

'Sansa,' Ned replied.

'May I tell the others?' she asked.

Ned looked to Maester Luwin, who nodded.

'Yes, but no-one is to see Jon until Maester Luwin allows it,' Ned confirmed with an air of no argument. 'We don't need everyone running in here straight away.'

'I shall tell them Father,' Sansa looked serious as she spoke. Ned almost wanted to see the faces of his other children when they found out that Jon was awake. Sansa turned to Jon, 'I'm glad you're feeling better Jon,' she smiled. Jon tried to return the smile to his eldest sister but he wasn't sure he managed it. Sansa swished out of the room and Jon was left to answer questions, with nods and shakes of his head, from Maester Luwin.

* * *

Sansa found her siblings by the Heart Tree, in a vigil that had become commonplace while Jon was bed-stricken. She also found her mother there, who was unhappy at all the lessons they had missed as they prayed for Jon. Robb was arguing his case but everyone knew their mother would win.

'Sansa,' Catelyn acknowledged Sansa's approach.

'Mother,' Sansa replied. When it became clear everyone was waiting for her to speak, Sansa spoke again. 'Everyone, I bring glad tidings. Jon is awake.'

Arya's cheer could have deafened the Gods if they were watching. Robb ran over and hugged Sansa straight away, as did Bran.

'He's really awake?' Arya asked as she seemed to bound around the Godswood.

'Yes, and his first thought was of Robb,' Sansa confirmed, making her brother blush slightly.

'Can we see him?' Bran tugged at Sansa's skirt as Robb, followed by Arya, suddenly marched towards the castle.

'Wait, Robb!' Sansa called. 'Father says we can't see Jon until Maester Luwin says so.'

'Oh, but I want to see him,' Robb said disappointedly.

'So do I!' Arya crossed her arms in a huff.

'You will do as your father says,' Catelyn's voice startled her children, as if they had forgotten she was there. 'Go back to castle, it seems your prayers have been answered.'

Catelyn watched her children return to the castle in joyful moods, but she could not share in their joy. Her prayers had not been answered. She had asked for a swift death for Jon, knowing it would badly affect Ned and Robb should Jon's death be drawn out. She was certain the boy would die and free her from the shame he represented, but alas the boy lived.

* * *

Jon recovered well from his illness and was soon able to walk around the castle. Robb was a constant shadow, as was Arya. Jon couldn't shake the unease he felt being around anyone other than, his siblings, his father and Maester Luwin. Jon hated how he shied away from Jory and Ser Rodrik as well as the workers around the castle. Everyone, seemed happy to see him and he was more 'visible' than he had ever been. He wasn't allowed much time alone either, which was starting to irritate him as he was much happier when he was in his own company. He was suffering from nightmares, which didn't help either. Most of them replayed his time with Lorge and Stanos and he often woke up crying and occasionally screaming. He knew he had been found naked by Jory and he always wondered whether Jory thought less of him for it. He didn't dare talk to anyone about it as they would consider him weak, but the truth was, his anxiety and nightmares were getting worse.

Jon managed to find some time alone in the Godswood by the Heart Tree after another sleep disturbed night. It wasn't long before he heard footsteps coming towards him to end his self-exile once again. Was it his father, brother or Maester Luwin?

'Jon,' a voice called confirming that the identity of the person was not who Jon had expected.

Benjen Stark, robed all in black, stood looking warmly at his nephew.

'Uncle Benjen,' Jon called and smiled before his smile disappeared. Benjen seemed to understand as he walked over and hugged Jon tightly.

'Let's talk,' Benjen said as he guided Jon to sit on a rock as he did the same. 'Or, more importantly, you talk and I'll listen.'

Jon stared at his feet. He didn't want this. His uncle would think less of him like everybody else.

'What you went through was torture Jon. Nobody thinks less of you, only you think we do,' Benjen insisted as if he could read Jon's mind.

Jon felt the tears start to fall but is uncle laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder and Jon told Benjen everything.

* * *

As the years went by Jon's nightmares began to wane and he feared leaving Winterfell less and less. Robb was a constant shadow and it was an unspoken agreement between them never to discuss what happened to them. Robb continued to feel the guilt at Jon's ordeal when it should have been his, but Jon was just glad that Robb was ok and hadn't suffered like he had. Ned was happy that both Robb and Jon were back to being themselves, mostly, while Catelyn tried to be better to Jon but felt she didn't really want to. Jon normally wore high-necked undershirts, common in the North, but on the occasions he didn't' Catelyn saw the scar at his throat and guilt washed over her. The guilt wasn't enough to make her change her ways but it did remind her that it could have been her eldest son who bore the scar, rather than the bastard who saved him.

* * *

**A/N: This could be considered the end, however, I do have an idea for bringing Lorge and Stanos to justice. In real life, unfortunately, the bad guys don't always get caught. Please let me know what you would think of a short epilogue to bring justice or if you think it is fine as it is. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**You wanted justice, so here it is. This chapter follows Lorge and Stanos mostly (you'll see why) and it is rather broken up into small scenes. I do hope this doesn't feel too jarring. It is meant to represent the passages of time.**

**I hope it lives up to your expectations. :)**

* * *

Chapter 5

Lorge and Stanos fled as fast as their horses could carry them, hearing thundering hooves behind them. Robb Stark was dead by their hand and the ever so noble Lord Eddard Stark would be after them for as long as he lived. They had to escape now!

They arrived, panting along with their horses, at the edge of the woods and stopped to listen if they were still being followed. Their ears seemed to hear every gust of wind and rustle of the leaves but horses' hooves could no longer be heard chasing them. They were free.

Lorge and Stanos knew that the wrath of Ned Stark and the North would follow them wherever they went and that they would be found if they stayed in the Northern most kingdom. They managed to cross the border into the Riverlands, they were aware of the Tully link, and decided to travel to the nearest port. Essos was the best they could do now.

* * *

It was five years later when Lorge and Stanos discovered that they had been unsuccessful in killing Robb Stark. News from Westeros was few and far between. They had continued their poaching trade in Essos, with added thievery on the side. They often watched the docks in Essos closely as they found travelling Westerosi far easier to steal from than the locals.

They, as usual, positioned themselves inside a tavern near the docks and waited for the two Westerosi men to become drunk on ale and wine. Drunk men were so much easier to steal from. The conversation soon turned to Westeros.

'Ned Stark Hand of the King?' the first man asked.

'That's what I heard,' the second man replied.

'Well, maybe he'll knock some sense into our fat king!' the first man chortled.

'Maybe,' the second man grimaced.

'What?'

'He was stupid enough to betroth his eldest daughter to Prince Joffrey,' the second man looked sceptical. 'He also took his other daughter with him.'

'That was foolish,' first man looked serious now. 'The South will eat 'em right up.'

'At least he left his eldest, Robb, in charge at Winterfell,' the second said as the first man nodded.

Lorge and Stanos were dumbstruck and almost choked on their drinks. Robb Stark was alive! The little urchin had survived his wound? They had assumed that Stanos had inflicted a fatal wound but somehow the boy had lived. Their anger rose up as they realised they had failed to hurt Lord Stark in the way they had wanted. They hadn't got justice for their father after all. The problem was, how could they get close again? The boy would be a young man now, trained by a swordsman and protected by soldiers. They had had their chance and they had blown it!

With their emotional turmoil at their failed assassination of Robb Stark, Lorge and Stanos failed to notice they prey leaving. It did not matter. They had other things to plan.

* * *

It took Lorge and Stanos time to come up with a plan and the funds to book passage across the Narrow Sea. When they arrived in Westeros, hoping to enact their revenge once more, they found that Ned Stark was dead. Executed as a traitor by King Joffrey. Lorge and Stanos spent that night becoming very drunk indeed as they revelled in their enemy's death. They still wanted revenge on Robb Stark though. Killing the eldest Stark had been the goal and they wished to see it through. The Starks were weak and Lorge and Stanos wanted to make them even weaker. Make the Starks pay for killing their father.

They later heard that Robb Stark had been named 'King in the North' and that the Northerner's were marching south to avenge Ned Stark. With this added protection they knew the young king was not going to be easy to kill. They cursed their luck as they floundered to find a way to get close to Robb Stark. The started to poach the Riverlands in the hope that they could find out more about the young King in the North. They even managed to get close to the Northmen who were sworn to him but strangers were not welcome among the Northmen.

In the end, it didn't matter. Robb Stark was dead, killed at the Twins at what they were now calling 'The Red Wedding'. Lorge and Stanos found themselves raising a glass, or four, to Walder Frey for disposing of their enemy.

However, the vanquishing of their enemy, in such a gruesome way, had left them with little direction left in their lives. Their enemy was gone. The Starks no longer ruled at Winterfell, and if it was to be believed, only on Stark remained and that Stark was now a Lannister.

They did not know what to do next. Eventually, they decided on their course.

* * *

Lorge and Stanos decided the best course of action was to try and side with the Starks' enemy and current rulers of the North. The Boltons. This way, they hoped, would make sure Ned Stark's legacy would be that of ruin and despair. 'The honourable man who destroyed the North'.

It was with some hesitation that Lorge and Stanos approached the Dreadfort. Roose Bolton did not currently reside there as he was travelling back from the Twins. They were a couple of days ahead, nothing more. They knew that Bolton himself had a bastard, Ramsay Snow, and they hoped the man would be agreeable to their proposition. Ramsay Snow had a reputation as a wild dog and there were rumours about what he had done to Theon Greyjoy that didn't bear thinking about.

When they arrived at the Dreadfort they asked to see Ramsay Snow as they had a proposition for him. They were escorted through the castle until Ramsay was sitting before them. He was absentmindedly peeling an apple with a rather sharp blade.

'I hear you have a proposition for me?' Ramsay grinned evilly.

'Yes,' Lorge took a step forward confidently. 'We are poachers-'

'Poachers?' Ramsay faked surprise. 'Why shouldn't I have you executed straight away?' Though Ramsay spoke of execution it was clear to Lorge and Stanos that Ramsay was interested in what they had to say.

'We hoped to poach for you, my lord,' Lorge answered with a half bow. Ramsay's eyes lit up at the address.

'Why?' Ramsay leaned forward in his chair, clear interest in his body language.

'To destroy Ned Stark's legacy,' Stanos spoke for the first time. Ramsay just tilted his head in interest.

'We failed to kill Robb Stark when he was a child,' Lorge explained. 'Ned Stark executed our father and we wanted vengeance. We took Robb Stark and the bastard and we thought we had killed Stark. We were wrong. We don't want Ned Stark's legacy to be anything good.'

'He was a fool to go south so we want the North to know that any despair is his fault and help the Bolton's become the saviours,' Stanos concluded.

'How do you propose to do that?' Ramsay asked as he moved from his chair to stand in front of them.

'We poach the lands of the other houses and bring the meat to you. We can also thieve some grain stores as well,' Lorge proposed. 'The North will look to the Boltons for help and you will be seen as the saviours. Of course, we would be paid by you for this. When the time comes we could also raid other kingdoms as well.'

Ramsay started to pace as he considered their offer.

'I like it. The North would come to see us as the ones who help them, whereas the Starks left them to wage a war they couldn't win. The main problem with this is that the North knows we betrayed Robb Stark,' Ramsay concluded.

'But now you could say you saw the problems that the Starks had caused and you will help the North rather than destroy it,' Stanos ventured. 'You got rid of the Greyjoys, remind them of that. This won't work overnight but when they are starving in winter they will look to you and the Starks will be forgotten.'

Ramsay considered his options. There was no harm in it, even if it didn't work. He could always flay those that refused the Bolton rule. It would mean a supply of food for him as well.

'Alright, I'll agree. However, there is to be no poaching on Bolton lands, which now include Winterfell. Also, if you are caught, I do not know you. You risk you're owns heads, not mine. Finally, all the food and equipment you steal comes directly to me. Agreed?' Lorge and Stanos nodded agreement to Ramsay's terms. They shook hands knowing that they could sully Ned Stark's, ever so noble, name.

* * *

During their travels Lorge and Stanos had learned that the bastard Jon Snow had become Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. They both knew that bastards had poor lives in comparison to legitimate children so they decided it was best to leave Jon Snow alone. He didn't deserve their hatred. Stannis Baratheon was there at Castle Black as well, declaring himself 'King of the Seven Kingdoms'. That man was deluded.

Their dealings with Ramsay had been profitable and they continued to reassure the young Bolton that this was a long-term scheme. Sometimes, they even discussed their own acts of devilishness but Ramsay was on a different level.

They watched from afar as Sansa Stark became Bolton property, the last Stark was now a Bolton, increasing the influence of the Boltons on the North. The Boltons now had the North and none of the other houses would be able to stand up to them. Stannis was easily defeated after Ramsay had told them how he took twenty men and desecrated Stannis' camp. The victory outside Winterfell was an easy one. They had enjoyed that story over ale and food.

* * *

Lorge and Stanos made their way down to Riverlands for their next batch pf poaching. The Freys' were stretched with guarding both the Twins and Riverrun meaning patrols were scarce. They had even heard the Tully's were trying to rally support behind someone called the 'Blackfish'. The chaos ensuing the Riverlands was enough to make their poaching haul large and very fruitful. The Freys' had become particularly lax when it appeared the 'Blackfish' had taken back Riverrun in the Tully name. That had meant the arrival of the Lannister soldiers to the region as well, which was Lorge and Stanos' cue to scarper back north. They travelled back to Winterfell off the roads as they always did. They didn't want attention that may cause them to be caught. They were towing a wagon with a large assortment of poached goods which would be very suspicious if spotted. They missed the news, the gossip and the women that came with travelling using the roads and taverns but this way was far safer.

They reached Winterfell under the cover of darkness, the days really were getting shorter, and they noticed the ground looked discoloured but it was difficult to see. There was no moon to see by and the cloud cover made it darker still. Something has happened here and they couldn't be sure what. However, they were sure Ramsay would have been victorious. They had heard Roose Bolton had died and they knew instantly that Ramsay was behind it.

Lorge and Stanos reached the concealed entrance in the high walls of Winterfell and crept inside. They unloaded their cart and left the produce at the entrance. Ramsay always had his men help to take the food to the kitchens. They made their way towards the kitchens in hope of a bite to eat and then would make their way to Ramsay once dawn broke. Neither of them noticed that they weren't alone in the seldom used corridor.

The kitchens were quiet at that time of night but the occasional morsel of food could be found. The servants would be down in a few hours to start making food so the fasts could be broken in the morning. Lorge and Stanos wandered around the kitchen until they felt eyes watching them. They turned and saw a man was standing before them.

'Who are you?' Lorge asked brusquely, having never seen the man before.

The man didn't answer.

'Who are you **old man**?' Stanos emphasised the last two words as he stepped forward aggressively but the man just gave a rueful smile.

'The question is...who are you?' the man asked politely, his eyes twinkling with knowing.

'None of your business,' Lorge dismissed and went back hunting for food. He found some goat's milk and started to drink.

'We are waiting for Lord Bolton,' Stanos said aggressively. Ramsay's reputation was well known and offending the lord, or his friends, was something to avoid.

The man did not seem bothered. 'Yer know, I think you are smugglers. Well, poachers to be exact. Looking at yer haul and using passageways that are rarely used, you're used to concealing yerselves. Am I right?'

'What's it to you?' Lorge snarled. 'We have an agreement with Lord Bolton.'

'I thank you for that information,' Davos smiled. 'Guards!'

Guards entered the kitchen wearing, not Bolton colours, but Starks colours. The snarling direwolf evident on the guards' chests.

'Take these men to t'cells,' Davos commanded. 'I shall inform the King in the morning. No need to worry him now.'

King!? Stanos and Lorge were dragged down to the cells to await their fate.

* * *

Davos had been scouring the castle, as he had been unable to sleep, when he heard the noise. A trained smuggler, he easily found the passageway and watched as the poachers deposited their haul. He followed them to the kitchens, mindful to keep the guards nearby. He was no fighter so he couldn't take on the two men himself.

Once the men were captured Davos decided it was best to try and get some rest before he told Jon what had happened when the sun had finally risen.

* * *

Morning had broken and Davos told Jon what had happened during the night. Many of the Northern Lords had described poachers on their lands at various times already, with some suspecting Ramsay Bolton had been behind it.

'Please have the prisoners brought to the hall,' Jon ordered and Davos disappeared as the morning meal was finished.

Jon hated poachers. Not just because they took animals from the land without permission, which meant keeping track of the wildlife for hunts and food was difficult, it was also because of how he had suffered at their hands. The memories of his ordeal had never truly left him and the scar on his neck was a constant reminder. Of course, he had many more scars now, some of which pained him even more.

'Are you ok?' Sansa asked from beside him, a knowing look in her eyes.

'Yeah,' Jon answered reflexively. 'Poachers,' he clarified and Sansa nodded her understanding.

Jon felt the scar on his neck itch, as if to remind him of everything. The poachers who had nearly killed him had never been found and Jon knew that justice was unlikely to ever come.

* * *

Lorge and Stanos were dragged into the busy main hall within Winterfell. They had met Ramsay here before but now it was packed with people. Some already hurling insults as they were dragged towards the table at the front of the hall. Their only plan was to plead for mercy and lie that Ramsay had forced them to do his bidding. They were now reliant on the mercy of somebody declaring for House Stark. They thought Sansa may have managed to turn the North against her husband, who was surely dead, but who was this king? With any luck, they could survive this.

Lorge and Stanos froze as they saw they saw the figure sat at the top table in the middle position. The man who had caught them in the kitchens was sitting to the figure's left as they looked and Sansa was sitting to the figure's right.

Jon felt a shiver go down his spine as he watched the 'poachers' being brought into the hall. It was clear how the other lords' and ladies' felt about the men but none could know how Jon felt.

There was an awkward stare-off as Lorge and Stanos stared inexplicably at Jon and Jon stared back.

'Jon,' Sansa called softly, shaking Jon's arm. The room became silent as they realised there was more to this than they originally thought. Jon stood and pulled back his cloak and undershirt at his neck to reveal the scar Stanos had left all those years ago.

'You're dead!' Lorge spluttered. 'You died at the Twins!'

'This is not possible,' Stanos shook his head violently.

'They gave you that scar,' Tormund's voice growled as the big Wildling moved aggressively towards Lorge and Stanos.

'Aye,' Jon confirmed. 'This is Lorge and Stanos,' Jon indicated each man politely as if it was a normal introduction.

Lorge and Stanos quelled under Tormund's fierce gaze.

'This is Tormund,' Jon finished the introductions as Tormund growled deeply. 'Tormund,' Jon spoke as a warning and Tormund retreated, slightly. Only slightly.

'Robb Stark died at the Twins!' Lorge shouted forcefully keeping an eye on Tormund.

'Yes, my brother died at the Twins.'

'But...?'

'You're the bastard,' Stanos spat as he finally realised that the boy they had thought was Robb Stark had been the bastard all along. Tormund stepped in and backhanded Stanos, sending him to the ground. Stanos slowly climbed to his feet but it was obvious he was dazed.

'My name is Jon Snow,' Jon walked around the table to stand before the men. 'I told you I was my brother when I realised you were going to kill him.'

'Why?' Lorge asked incredulously.

'It was a choice I made in a moment. Robb was my brother, the heir to Winterfell, I was nothing. No-one would ever remember my name, but maybe I could earn some honour by saving my brother, whose life was worth so much more than mine,' Jon explained.

A stunned silence encapsulated the hall. Many present had known that Jon and Robb had been kidnapped when they were younger, with Jon nearly dying in the process. They had never been privy to the knowledge that Jon had sacrificed himself to save Robb.

'And that is why he is our King!' Lyanna Mormont exclaimed as murmurs of agreement passed around the hall.

Lorge and Stanos knew they would never leave Winterfell alive. Jon Snow had no mercy in his eyes, but maybe they could make these people doubt their new king.

'Well, your King pissed himself in fear,' Lorge announced cockily and looked around the room. Stone faces stared back.

'Not quite how I remember it,' Jon didn't looked abashed as Lorge expected. 'I needed to relieve myself, as everybody does, but you stood on my stomach until I had to.'

Tormund's growl was feral and Davos' glare could have killed them, if looks could kill.

'How old were you, when you were taken?' Tormund asked still staring at Lorge like he was a nice, juicy mutton chop.

'Twelve,' Jon answered. 'They stripped me to make me suffer from the cold, which ironically, may have saved my life.'

'Wound didn't bleed,' Tormund said knowingly as he glanced at Jon, who nodded.

'I remember how worried Lord Stark was,' Lord Manderly commented. 'He rushed from our meeting when you woke.'

'I was there,' Sansa smiled.

'I remember. I think I attacked you,' Jon looked slightly embarrassed.

'I had a bruise I could not show my mother,' Sansa smiled back.

Lorge and Stanos didn't know what to do as they stared with hatred at Jon. They didn't notice the thinning of the bodies behind them.

Suddenly, a black nose appeared between them and then the muzzle and snarling teeth. Ghost growled as he placed his head between the men, making both men startle with fear. The direwolf's eyes roamed each man and the men could not help but look back. Ghost walked casually between them, over to Jon who stroked the direwolf's muzzle and scratched Ghost's ears. The direwolf closing its eyes in pleasure at the touch.

Tormund's hearty laugh rang through the hall. 'Now who's pissed himself in fear!' he roared. Lorge looked down to see a wet patch on his crotch and shame filled him. He glared at the wolf and the wolf glared back, baring its teeth. Laughter rang around the hall and Lorge hated them for it. He looked back at Jon, who wasn't laughing, but there was a satisfied quirk of the lips on his face.

When the laughter had died down Jon spoke once more. 'Lorge and Stanos. I, Jon Snow, King in the North, sentence you to die for the crimes of poaching, the kidnap of myself and my brother Robb Stark and the attempted murder of myself. Do you have anything to say before your sentence is carried out?'

'I demand a trial by combat!' Lorge shouted.

'We do not recognise this tradition in the North,' Jon stated clearly.

'Do you deny the accusations?' Sansa moved level with Jon.

'No,' Stanos grumbled. 'Wouldn't do us much good if we did anyway.'

'No, it wouldn't,' Sansa smirked.

'Take them outside,' Jon ordered as he tried to compose himself. The crowd exited the hall quickly as many were eager to see the demise of the two men.

'You don't have to do this Jon,' Davos said quietly as Jon stood quietly trying to control himself.

'Yeah, I'll do it for you,' Tormund offered. 'Pricks deserve to die.'

'The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword,' Jon said before walking outside, his father's voice ringing in his ears.

Everybody had come out to watch which should have made Jon nervous, but looking at the two men he had wanted to punish since he had recovered was a far greater pull.

Lorge was now openly crying as he realised he was about to share his father's fate and at the hands of one of Ned Stark's sons. This was not fair. Jon wasn't swayed by the emotional outburst from Lorge. He remembered how Janos Slynt had begged for his life and knew he couldn't show weakness now. It took once slash of Longclaw and Lorge's head was separated from his body.

Stanos was trying to fight back and nearly succeeded until Tormund grabbed him.

'I should have gutted you boy!' Stanos spat as Tormund wrestled him onto the block. 'Should've bled you dry while I had the chance.'

'Aye, you should've,' Jon said as he swung Longclaw once more and Stanos suffered his brother's fate.

* * *

A couple of hours later Jon was sitting on a rock by the Heart Tree in the Godswood, cleaning Longclaw for the umpteenth time. Longclaw was already clean but to Jon it felt comforting to know his tormentors had died at its sharp edge and their blood had been simply washed away. More comforting to know it was him who had ended their lives and not someone else in his place. He felt there was a new found respect following him around Winterfell now. The Northern Lords now knew that he had saved Robb knowing it most certainly meant his own death. They had also witnessed him dispense the justice that was needed as his father, Ned Stark, had done many times before. Those who perhaps doubted him before were now seeing him through different eyes. Being a bastard meant little now, as they saw him as their King.

Ghost trotted over to lay at Jon's feet in silent support. Jon stroked his direwolf and felt his satisfaction radiating back at him from the wolf.

'You know Ghost, it is true what they say...Revenge is s a dish best served cold.'

* * *

**A/N: I chose to structure the chapter like this as I have always loved the long resolutions in Game of Thrones. My favouite being Arya seeing the Red Wedding in season 3 and then waiting until the end of season 6, where she finally gets her revenge on Walder Frey. This was the approach I used here. Jon has waited so long but finally he does get his revenge in a more unlikely way. It isn't Ned executing them on Jon's behalf, Jon is doing it himself and realising the man he has become.**

**Please comment and let me know if it worked for you and even if it didn't. I hope you did enjoy this story as a whole. The idea came from GreekerGeek. :)**


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